Darkness Falls (Darkness Comes book 2)

By A.C. Warneke

Malorie Sinclair is adjusting to her new life, her new love, and it isn’t easy. Feryn is hyper-protective, her dreams are growing increasingly bizarre, her father is still missing, and her past isn’t as dead as she believed.

Needing space to think, to breathe, she begins a search for her father and discovers that there is so much more to the world around her than she ever imagined. Navigating this uncharted path is going to take all of her cunning and resolve because doing what she knows to be right means going against Feryn and compromising the future of the Aradians.

Between morning sickness, angels, hunters, long kept secrets, ruthless Aradians, and raising a six-year-old son, Malorie is going to learn exactly who she is and what she believes in.

Reading DARKNESS COMES first is recommended otherwise characters and events in DARKNESS FALLS may not make sense.
Contains adult situations and strong language that some might find objectionable.
Approximately 100,000 words

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.C. Warneke
• Release date: Aug 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311349491

A.C. Warneke

Like most writers, I spend most of my time telling myself stories and occasionally writing them down when they get too loud to remain in my head. Each book likes to be created in its own way, which makes establishing an environment that is most conducive to writing quite difficult, though it occasionally involves Dove chocolates, music, minesweeper, lots of solitaire, notebooks and scraps of paper, doodling and day dreaming, and fruity, sugar-free bubble gum, not necessarily in that order and not always at the same time. Of course, none of this would be possible without the love and support of my very loving and very tolerant family, who politely listen as I go on and on about my characters' motivations and back stories, their connections within the worlds created and how they fight to gain control of their destinies. But I am a cruel writer and make them earn their happy endings. Since I am also a Romantic at heart, they are all happy endings. Available Books: Darkness Comes (Darkness book 1-PNR) Darkness Falls (Darkness book 2 - PNR) Stone Lover (Stone Passion Trilogy book 1 -PNR, romantica) Stone Romance (Stone Passion Trilogy book 2 -PNR, romantica) Stone Destiny (Stone Passion Trilogy book 3 - PNR, romantica) Siren Song (PNR) Stone Solitude (Stone Passion Twins book 1 - PNR, romantica) Stone Seduction (Stone Passion Twins book 2 - PNR, romantica) Awakening (PNR/UF) Blight (UF) After Blight (Blight book 2 - UF) Blind Attraction (Contemporary) Winter's Heart (STEAMY Contemporary) A Million Kisses or More (Contemporary) I love hearing from readers. Email me at: [e-mail] or connect on facebook: www.facebook.com/ACWarneke or visit my blog and leave a comment: acwarneke.com

Book preview

DARKNESS FALLS

(DARKNESS COMES BOOK 2)

By

A.C.Warneke

Smashwords Edition

*****

Published by

A.C.Warneke on Smashwords

DARKNESS FALLS

Copyright 2014 by Andrea Warneke

All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

*****

Dedication:

Darkness Falls refused to be written anywhere other than my daughter's dance studio so this book is dedicated to the amazing teachers, assistants, front desk ladies, dance team, and all of the talented dancers at World of Dance. Thank you for giving me a place to write!

As always, dedicated to my friends and family and the men and women of the U.S. Military

Acknowledgement:

I want to thank my pre-Beta Beta Readers and my Beta Readers for your help and encouragement and for believing in the story when I had lost faith:

Jessica Gentile, Lakecia Gassett, Jodi Negri, Jacque Burford, Lindsey Armstrong, Robin Tindle, Kim Freidhoff, Paris Lemos, Celita Collins, and Colleen Reilly

*****

DARKNESS FALLS

*****

The Story So Far

A shudder wracked Malorie Sinclair’s body and she had to breathe in through her nose and slowly blow the breath out through her mouth until the queasiness in her stomach passed. Memories of the past couple of months assaulted her, starting from the moment on Christmas Eve when everything had changed. She had been at the mall when there was an unexpected open feed for the local vampires. Despite the fact that there had been no warnings, she shouldn’t have been there. She had spent her life tracking nests down and killing the monsters and at the first hint of unease she should have fled.

Instead, she had tried to tell herself that she was over-reacting because the authorities would have announced a feed. It wasn’t until she saw the masses of black clad youths arrive with euphoric expressions on their faces that she accepted she had screwed up. The kids had looked forward to an encounter with vampires because they saw the monsters as beautiful immortals. Malorie saw vampires for what they were: the cold, rotting corpses of dead humans needing blood and magic to stay alive.

Unfortunately, she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and that is where the hot-blooded vampire Feryn had discovered her. He had swooped her up into his powerful arms and bit her, making her question everything she knew about vampires, about her life, because she had so easily succumbed. She had run but in the end he had tracked her down and stolen her away to his hidden island in the middle of nowhere. He had told her she was valuable to his people because she was a Breeder, a special race of humans believed to have died out hundreds of years before.

It quickly became apparent that he was vastly different from the vamps she hunted, despite their introduction. Vampires were cold and dead, Feryn was burning with life. In truth, he was an Aradian, ancient and powerful, and it was his race that was responsible for creating vampires. Not all Aradians were vamp-creators but those who did create vamps tended to give into vamp-madness and they were a danger to everyone.

It was the Aradian Taella that brought death and destruction down upon the small village where Malorie had been staying. Once again, she never should have been there but when Feryn agreed to let her go, he had recreated her memories and settled her in the hidden town to give her time to adjust to her new life. If she hadn’t been pregnant, the memory augmentation might have succeeded. Luckily, it failed in a spectacular manner because if it had worked then she would have had no knowledge of vampires and she probably would have been killed in the slaughter.

It was because of the unwanted alterations to her memories that she had remained at the town instead of returning to the Aradian compound after her original memories had been restored. She had needed time to deal with everything, from the unexpected pregnancy to Feryn’s unilateral decision to give her a happier version of her past and a future of relative peace. All she had wanted was him.

Alone with her thoughts, she sprung out of bed when the vampires attacked. She fought, taking out as many of the blood suckers as possible until she had been overwhelmed by the sheer number of vamps. She didn’t understand why they hadn’t killed her right away until her husband – her dead husband – stepped forward and promised her that they would be together forever, no matter how much she begged him to simply kill her and not turn her.

It had been Taella who had turned Jack into a vampire.

As she thought about her husband, the man he had been and the monster he had become, a tear slipped down her cheek. Even as a vampire he had loved her, at least in his own way. Perhaps that was why he had been able to be in her presence and not be completely repulsed. Strangely, as repulsed as she was by vampires, they were as repulsed by her because she was a Breeder. It had something to do with the life that teemed within her being abhorrent to those whose life was gone. If ordered by their Aradian creator or if they are in a killing frenzy, vampires could kill a Breeder but they never drank a Breeder’s blood. Until Jack drank of her and nearly drained her dry. Before she succumbed to death, Feryn had killed all of the vamps and saved her.

It was when she had been unconscious that she had an extraordinary vision and finally understood what she was, what her father and grandfather were, and that they weren’t exactly human nor were they typical Breeders. Nearly four hundred and fifty years before, one of the original Aradians, an alien creature, had manipulated the Hunters’ DNA to be a match for the ruthless and brilliant Aradians. But fear had kept her father and grandfather off the Aradian radar. Even after her grandfather left her father long before Malorie came along, Gus remained desperately cautious, training Malorie to be a hunter, a survivor, staying hidden. Until the incident at the mall when Malorie’s mistake cost them both their freedom.

While she was having her own misadventures, her father had managed to escape from the Aradian compound. Despite having no idea where he was, she knew she had to find him, to tell him all that she had learned, and beg his forgiveness for everything. She could only hope he was safe.

*At the end of DARKNESS COMES, Malorie had a dream about Varick. That event takes place about half way through DARKNESS FALLS.

*****

Prologue

~Malorie~

The young girl clambered onto the stool, pulling herself up until she was level with the kitchen counter. The ingredients for her sandwich were laid out in front of her: bread, peanut butter, chocolate spread, a banana and strawberry jam. She smiled, pleased with how she had been able to get everything she needed onto the high counter. Her father would be pleased to discover just how well she could take care of herself when he couldn’t be there, which was often since there were so many vampires to deal with. She had hoped today would have been different because it was her birthday but there was a nest that had to be erad… eradi… wiped out. But he had promised to bring home something special to celebrate her eighth birthday.

Malorie Hunter hoped her father would get her a doll but she knew that he would probably get her something practical, like another sword or a set of lock-picks. That was okay, too, because they would have ice cream to celebrate. They always had ice cream on her birthday, no matter where they lived or how busy her father was. It was their traditional treat for special occasions, like her birthday or a big kill. Occasionally, the men who fought alongside her father would join them but usually it was just her and her father, which was how she preferred it.

Catching a glimpse of herself in the toaster, she scrunched up her nose and made a face at her reflection. Her brown hair was cropped close to her head, just like her father wore his hair. She also had his gray eyes, though his had seen so much more of life and were more shadowed because of it. He could look at his men and they would obey without anything needing to be said. Some day she was going to be able to do that, to command with a look.

Her father was the bravest, handsomest man she had ever known. He fought monsters and taught her how to do the same, though he kept her as far away from the action as he could. One day he would let her join him and she was going to prove to him that she was just as brave as he was, taking out just as many vampires as him. He was going to see how hard she had been practicing and he was going to smile down at her and maybe take her out for some ice cream to celebrate. But not until she was older and taller and perhaps a little braver and when the day came, she was going to make him proud.

Putting the final touches on her sandwich, she scampered back down from the chair with her treat. She would clean up the mess later because it was a beautiful day and she wanted to enjoy her food outside where she could watch the neighbors go about their lives, blissfully ignorant to the vampires that plagued the night. Grabbing a juice box from the fridge on the way out, she sat down on the front step and bit into her delicious concoction, enjoying the mixture of fruitiness and chocolate.

So far, this had been her favorite place to live because it had a yard and there were other children in the neighborhood even though she was not allowed to play with any of them. Her father told her it was too dangerous to mingle with the locals. They tended to be jittery when faced with vampire hunters, choosing to believe that vampires were simply myths and hunters were delusional. Still, Malorie enjoyed watching the other kids running around and shrieking with laughter while she imagined what it would be like to have someone her own age to play with.

The house that she loved above all the others was directly across the street. Four kids lived there with the most wonderful person of all, their mother. There were two boys and two girls and Malorie guessed their ages to be between nine and twelve and they all played together nearly every day. When her father was home she would watch from her bedroom window, smiling at their silly games. On days when he was gone, she would sit on the steps and simply absorb the way they played. She was never exactly sure what the rules were since the kids seemed to make them up as they went and the rules changed on random whims but she still enjoyed the show.

As the door to the house opened, she held her breath, curled her hands into fists and squished the sandwich between her fingers. Oblivious to the mess, she watched as the mother came out, laughing at the children’s antics. The woman was pretty, with long, dark blond, almost brown hair and a wide smile. Although Malorie didn’t know the color of her eyes, she liked to imagine they were a warm, chocolaty brown, twinkling with happiness and they would look at her with affection.

Sometimes, late at night when her father was out hunting vampires, she liked to imagine that she had a mother, someone like the woman across the street. Her mother would tuck her into bed at night and read her a bed time story and then kiss her on the forehead to say good night. But she didn’t have a mother, only a father, only Gus. She always felt a little guilty for wanting more when her father was everything to her.

That didn’t stop her from watching every move the woman made, the way her flowery dress fluttered around her legs or how she pretended to run away from her much smaller children as they pretended to be monsters. She played with them for a few minutes before she clapped her hands together, getting the kids’ attention, Okay, my little monkeys, who’s hungry for some chicken nuggets and French fries?

With a wistful sigh, Malorie simply stared at the laughing woman as a chorus of cheers went up and the kids made their way inside, chattering animatedly as they prepared to eat lunch. Malorie looked down at her smashed sandwich and frowned. She was going to have to finish it since there was nothing else to eat. With a shrug of her slender shoulders, she licked the sticky mess from her fingers and continued eating. It wasn’t as if the flavor changed when it was on her hands. Besides, she’d wash up afterwards before she cleaned up her mess in the kitchen. Her father was very strict when it came to cleaning up, never wanting to leave a trail for the vamps to follow.

Malorie thought the vampires had better things to do other than track down the daughter of the man who killed them but she didn’t argue. They didn’t have a lot of stuff to keep track of so cleaning up wasn’t really difficult. It also made it easy to move on when the time came, which was often. In fact, this was the third house that Malorie could remember clearly and she was sure there were at least three or four others.

Hello! a cheery voice called out, startling Malorie out of her thoughts, making her jump and drop the remains of her ruined sandwich. Looking up, she saw the pretty woman standing at the end of her driveway, waving her hand. Malorie froze, not knowing what to say. The woman seemed to take it as an invitation and walked up the short drive to join Malorie on the step. I’ve seen you around but I haven’t had a chance to stop by and introduce myself. I’m Nadine. What’s your name, sweetie?

Malorie simply stared at the woman, at Nadine, unable to speak at all. Nadine’s smile never faltered, even as she took in Malorie’s sticky hands and worn out clothes. It seems to me that I owe you a lunch. Would you like to join us for nuggets and fries?

Malorie had never wanted a thing so much in her life but her father would be furious if he discovered she had talked to the neighbors. Swallowing against the ache in her throat, she shook her head no, unable to say the word out loud. The lady stood up and Malorie wanted to cry. She could feel the tears burning in the back of her throat but she wasn’t going to let them fall. She wasn’t one to cry; she was strong like her father.

But the lady didn’t leave. Instead, Nadine held out her hand and smiled down at Malorie, her light brown eyes sparkling with laughter and sympathy. Come along, little one, I refuse to take no for an answer. No child should be so alone.

Malorie started to reach out her hand but then saw the chocolate and strawberry mess and quickly pulled it back, hiding the stained fingers behind her back as heat rose in her cheeks. The lady – Nadine – laughed and reached for the hand, ignoring the sticky mess and Malorie’s half-hearted protest. I have sons myself, sweetie. I’ve held much worse.

Malorie’s heart thumped painfully in her chest because the woman thought she was a boy. But then her hand was enfolded by the lady’s smooth palm and she was being pulled to her feet. The scent of flowers drifted on the breeze and Malorie realized the sweet scent was coming from the woman. Almost as if in a trance, she let Nadine lead her across the street, into an unfamiliar world as her heart pounded furiously in her little chest.

Her eyes nearly swallowed her face as she entered the other house. It was full of light and lots of… stuff. Pictures hung on the wall, showing the progression of the children through the years, from infancy to the present. A scraggly plant basked in the golden sunlight and Malorie’s breath caught in her throat at the simple beauty. Shelves of books lined the walls and Malorie wanted to weep at all of the lovely words to be read. As much as she and her father loved books, they didn’t have any of their own. Instead, they spent whatever free time they had at the library and Malorie read whatever she could get her little hands on. Her father always made sure that wherever they lived there was a library because he read even more than she did.

We’ll just get you cleaned up and then you can join the others at the table, the woman – Nadine – said. Malorie looked up and saw the soft smile on the woman’s face. She never wanted this moment to end and obediently followed Nadine into the bathroom and let the pretty woman clean her hands and face.

You are certainly a pretty little thing under all of this dirt, Nadine crooned. With a half-smile, she met Malorie’s eyes in the mirror over the sink, I mean handsome. My boys hate it when I call them pretty. Of course, when they were babies I thought them the most beautiful creatures in the universe. Will you tell me your name?

Malorie licked her parched lips and when she spoke, she barely made a sound, Mal.

What an interesting name, Nadine exclaimed, brushing her fingers along Malorie’s thin cheek and looking at her kindly. You have such remarkable eyes, Mal, such an old soul.

Her words trailed off as she stared into Malorie’s eyes. A slight frown marred her forehead before her expression cleared and she smiled once again. Holding out her hand, Nadine murmured, Come, let me introduce you to my kids and then feed you.

Once again, Malorie slid her hand into the woman’s, enjoying the warmth that spread through her small body at the contact. If she had a mother, was this how it would feel to hold her hand? As much as she loved holding her father’s hand, it was so rough and so much larger than her own.

Then she was standing in the light-filled kitchen and four pairs of eyes were staring at her. She wanted to lean into Nadine but she held herself still, meeting the curious gazes straight on, as her father taught her. Vampires never expected humans to look them in the eyes and on occasion the boldness confused them enough to give hunters a brief advantage.

But the kids weren’t hostile vampires, they were simply curious children. Quietly, she climbed up into the chair and sat down as Nadine put a plate of food in front of her and the other kids started chattering. For a few moments, she observed the others, watching as they dipped their nuggets into the barbeque sauce and their French fries into ketchup. Her father never got chicken nuggets and French fries, preferring to eat meals that didn’t require an oven.

Cautiously, she dragged a chicken nugget through the barbeque sauce and took a bite, liking the flavor and enjoying how the food squished between her teeth. Without bothering to dip it again, she stuffed the rest of the nugget into her mouth and reached for another.

After lunch, do you want to play with my trains? one of the little boys asked, the one that was closest to her age. I have a whole set and we can pretend to be conductors and stuff.

Malorie looked to Nadine for permission and when the woman simply smiled and nodded her head in encouragement, Malorie nodded, Okay.

The boy beamed at her and continued chattering away as he ate. It was distracting and wonderful and Malorie wished she had a brother or sister, too. She ate the rest of the meal in silence and afterwards, took her plate to the sink and started to wash it. Nadine gently grabbed her hands and Malorie froze, looking up into the smiling face in confusion.

You are a guest here, Mal, Nadine told her, taking the plate from her hands. You go play with Timmy and I’ll take care of the mess.

For a moment, Malorie simply stood there and stared at the strange, fascinating woman but Nadine didn’t relent. Reluctantly, Malorie released the plate and turned away, following the sounds of laughter. When she reached the doorway leading to the rest of the house, she looked over her shoulder and saw the concern in Nadine’s eyes as the woman watched her. Catching Malorie’s eyes, her frown eased and she smiled, Go on, Mal, play.

Timmy and his older brother Ryan were already playing and Malorie sat on the floor near them and watched, wrapping her arms around her shins and resting her chin on her knees. They didn’t keep their trains on the track and at one point they were using them as guns, pointing them at one another and making the bang sound. It made Malorie smile and she simply watched their interaction.

After a few minutes, the two girls joined them with a pile of dolls and Malorie couldn’t look away. Glancing over her shoulder in an absurd attempt to see if her father was watching, she inched closer to the girls. Once, her father caught her admiring a doll in a store window as they went into town to pick up some supplies. He told her that girls shouldn’t play with dolls because there was no point when vampires were a constant threat and dolls offered no protection. Then he bought her a wooden sword to practice with, telling her that a sword was much more practical. Taking his words to heart, she never let him catch her coveting the frilly toy again.

But she sure did dream of owning one.

Slowly, she reached out a hand and lightly ran her finger over an older doll’s cloth face, holding her breath until her lungs hurt. It was her birthday so maybe her father wouldn’t mind if just this once she played with one. Just this once. Inching a little closer, she kept her eyes on the well-loved doll, never daring to play with one of the newer ones. Feeling eyes on her, she looked up and saw the older girls watching her with curious expressions and she froze, her hand hovering over the worn doll.

It’s okay, the oldest girl murmured. Her name was Marcy and she was almost thirteen. The other one was Lucy and she was ten. With an encouraging smile, she added, Sometimes Timmy likes to play with my dolls, too.

Taking that as permission, Malorie snagged the doll and brought it up to her chest and was finally able to breathe. With a slight smile, she turned her attention to the doll, with its missing eye and dirty face, and thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Brushing the matted hair away from its face, Malorie hummed in pure joy.

A doll.

Oh my stars, Nadine breathed as she came into the living area with a plate of cookies. Malorie’s head shot up and she caught the look of horror on the woman’s face. Thrusting the doll away from her, she scrambled to her feet as Nadine put the plate down and rushed to her side. Nadine dropped to her knees and took Malorie’s hands in her own. Her light brown eyes glistened with unshed tears as she let her gaze roam over Malorie’s face. You’re a little girl.

Malorie gasped, struggling out of the warm grasp and racing out of the house and back across the street to the safety of her own home. Regret and joy warred inside of her as she quickly cleaned up her earlier mess and then retreated to her bedroom.

When her father got home, they would have ice cream and it was going to be the best birthday ever.

*****

A few hours later, she heard the front door open and she raced down the stairs to greet her father with a large smile that quickly disappeared when she saw the grim expression on his face. Slowing her step, she hesitated. Did he find out that she went over to the neighbor’s? No, he looked exhausted and defeated. Dirt and vampire residue streaked his face and he seemed to have aged a hundred years. Father.

He looked up and offered a smile that faltered and his gray eyes looked even darker than usual. Malorie.

She swallowed against the disappointment when she noticed he didn’t have any ice cream. Maybe he was going to take her out to one of the diners for their special treat. Were you able to destroy the nest?

He swallowed bleakly and squeezed his eyes shut, Yes.

Her father had never been one for many words but tonight he was even more silent. Slowly, he peeled the dark coat from his body, wincing when it caught on his shoulder. Malorie quickly made her way down the rest of the stairs and helped ease the coat off her father. He groaned, Thank you.

Are you hurt? she asked softly, her eyes roaming over him and looking for any injuries.

It’s nothing to worry about, Malorie, he assured her but she still worried. One of the vamps got too close and nicked my ribs with its talons. The anti-venom stung worse than the cut.

She smiled slightly but caught her lower lip between her teeth. Are you sure?

Yeah, he nodded, rolling his neck a bit. Give me a few minutes to take a shower and get cleaned up and then I will make supper. What are you hungry for? A salad or sandwiches?

A salad will be okay. She watched her father and knew he had forgotten her birthday. His injury had to be worse than he let on for him to forget. Forcing a smile, ignoring the ache in her chest, she laid his heavy coat on the rickety chair that came with the house, I’ll get the lettuce and dressing out.

There’s my good girl, he murmured absently, ruffling her shorn hair before heading up the stairs. I’ll be down shortly.

When her father came back down she had everything set up on the table. He offered her a tired smile as he sat down and started to eat, not bothering with words. Concerned, she kept stealing glances at him, barely able to eat the food that was on her plate. You need to eat, Malorie. We’ll be heading out in the morning.

But I like it here, sir, she whispered.

He looked up at her and she felt the heat creep into her cheeks. What have you done, Mal?

Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door and Malorie’s face flushed even hotter. Pushing back from the table, Gus cautiously made his way to the door while she followed. She stood behind her father as he opened the door and she saw Nadine standing on the step. The woman was fidgeting but when she saw Gus, she stilled. Her light brown eyes widened and a slight smile curled her lips. Malorie panicked because she knew her secret had been discovered.

Gus’s voice was rough as he asked wearily, Can I help you?

Hi, um, I haven’t had a chance to introduce myself. I’m Nadine, your neighbor, Nadine said. There was something wrong with her voice. It came out strange, like she had been running from vampires and was finally able to stop and catch her breath. She held out her hand and Gus reluctantly took it. And you are?

Gustav Hunter, her father answered, trying to let the woman’s hand go. She held on, gripping it with her other hand as well.

Mr. Hunter, she breathed. A pleasure.

He grunted a response but she didn’t seem to take the hint that Gus didn’t want to talk. Somehow, Nadine managed to make her way into the house as Gus and Malorie took a step back. The woman held onto Gus’s hand as her other hand was fluttered over her hair, her dress. Malorie was fascinated by the strange behavior.

With wide eyes, Malorie watched as Nadine smiled down at her and crooned, Your daughter is simply adorable, Mr. Hunter. I was wondering if you might wish to let her stay with me when you have to work.

That won’t be necessary. His eyes narrowed as Nadine’s fingers went to the front of her dress and she started unbuttoning the buttons. Reaching behind him, he put his hand on Malorie’s shoulder and without looking at her, he murmured, Mal, go to your room.

Yes, sir, she replied, slowly backing away from the two adults. Quietly, she made her way to the top of the stairs where she could still spy on them and hear what they were saying, if Nadine was going to tattle on her for leaving the house.

Is there a Mrs. Hunter? Nadine asked, shrugging out of the dress until she stood in front of Gus wearing the flimsiest undergarments Malorie had ever seen. They weren’t at all practical.

I was never married,